HBO Max's artwork for its Jellystone! series assembles the many, many characters of the animated Hanna-Barbara Universe featured on the show.
Developed by C.H. Greenblatt (Chowder, Harvey Beaks), Jellystone! re-imagines cartoon icons like Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, Huckleberry Hound and Jabberjaw as citizens of the titular town, a place where, per its synopsis, "they live, work, play and (as is often the case), destroy the town in some silly way together." The series' art offers a better idea of just how massive the show's animated ensemble actually is, with Yogi, Boo Boo and Cindy Bear featured front and center.
The Jellystone! cast is just as dense as its list of characters. Among the seasoned voice actors lending their vocals to the show are Looney Tunes Cartoons and Space Jam: A New Legacy's Jeff Bergman as the voices for Yogi, Mr. Jinks, Wally Gator and Lippy the Lion. He's one of multiple cast members playing two or more roles on the TV series, with Grace Helbig similarly voicing Cindy Bear, Yappy, Taffy and Granny Sweet. Those voicing only a single character on the show include Harley Quinn's King Shark voice actor, Ron Funches, as Shag Rugg, Paul F. Tompkins as Magical Gorilla and Lesley Nicol as Winsome Witch.
Fan reactions to the recent Jellystone! trailer were mixed at best, with many criticizing the show's re-imagining of their favorite Hanna-Barbara characters in terms of their design and personalities. Greenblatt seemed to anticipate this response while writing his statement about the trailer.
"Rather than recreate the feeling of cartoons of the past, we wanted to have silly, weird fun with these characters and expand their personalities to give them more depth," he explained, adding, "We hope longtime fans appreciate our take on this world, and we’re excited that parents get to introduce and enjoy their favorite Hanna-Barbera characters with their kids.”
Jeyllstone! isn't the first HBO Max series to draw criticism for altering key aspects of classic animated characters. Looney Tunes Cartoons also made the controversial choice to swap out Elmer Fudd's guns for other weapons in Season 1, with the absence of firearms attributed to concerns about the challenges of making gun violence funny in the current political landscape. Season 2 has since restored Elmer's preferred means for hunting "wascally wabbits."
HBO Max will premiere Jellystone! on July 29. Prior to that, fans can get a sneak peek at the show during its Comic-Con@Home panel on July 24.
Source: HBO Max